Former NASA astronaut Andy Thomas is speaking in Sydney

The now retired NASA astronaut, completed four successful space shuttle flights, logging more than 177 days orbiting the earth and served as flight engineer aboard the Russian Space Station Mir during a 20-week flight in 1998.

Taking place on Tuesday, November 15, at the Dockside Pavilion in Darling Harbour, the summit will explore innovations across science, technology and health.

This year the summit will cover three main topic areas: The Grand Challenges, looking at cities and how we live, energy, resources, food and water; Understanding Humanity, covering psychology, health, longevity, augmentation and robotics and artificial intelligence; and Out-of-this-World, exploring space travel, physics and aerospace.

Other speakers include Ron Garan, the chief pilot for World View Enterprises, professor Michael Smart, a leading Australian researcher on hypersonic travel, and Australia’s chief scientist Alan Finkel.